Southeast Asia Promotional Marketing Calendar

Published on: August 22, 2022

How do you effectively build your advertising and promotion strategy over the course of the promotional marketing calendar in the Southeast Asia market? In this infographic, we illustrate the marketing calendar for driving results in the Southeast Asia market.

Major Seasonal Promotions in Southeast Asia

January to February

January starts off with Children’s Day, which is a popular time for toys and children’s clothing promotions. It’s also Lazada’s first 3-day sale of the year, which includes promotions, discounts, 60% off coupons, and cash back offers.

Lunar New Year is the biggest promotional event in February. This is a time where those of Chinese heritage in Southeast Asia shop for new clothes, home décor, and gifts. Products designs with traditional Chinese aesthetics are popular among consumers (especially limited editions and collaborations).

March to April

March to May are the hottest months in the Philippines. Clothes and home appliances are the most popular items purchased by online shoppers in the country.

Songkran refers to the traditional New Year Celebrated in Thailand and other Southeast Asian regions. The event takes place on April 13 every year but the holiday period extends to April 14 and 15. In addition to visiting local temples, people flock to the streets to take part in water fights. Water splashing and pouring has traditionally been a sign of blessing. As a result, major marketplaces and retail stores promote Songkran-related product sales as “Splash Sales” during the celebratory period.

May to June

The end of April is Hari Raya Puasa, the celebration at the end of the Ramadan month of fasting. In countries such as Indonesia where there is a high number of Muslim worshippers, the festival is a major occasion and preparations are visible from roughly one month before the festival begins.

Indonesians also look to spend duit raya (monetary gifts given by relatives or employers) that they receive during these celebrations. As a result, that time of year is a golden opportunity for brands to offer competitive discounts and creative promotions that tie into local traditions.

May 1 is Labour day, which is also known as International Workers’ Day. Lazada and other leading platforms hold Labour Day sales together with their partners. The month of May also sees the peak of summer shopping in the Philippines, where retailers take advantage of the last few days of the season before parents must spend money to pay their children’s tuitions fees.

Lazada holds its annual 6.6 Mid-year Mega Sale from June 6 to 8. Deals include: up to 70% off for major brands in all categories; stackable coupons; and 60% cashbacks offers.

July to August

The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale runs from July to September and it is a government-backed sale where local consumers and tourists can find 10% to 80% discounts on fashion, accessories, electronics, and food. In recent years, the sale has migrated to online as stores and shoppers have begun to participate.

September to October

The Great Singapore Sale (or GSS) is a national annual event held in Singapore from September 9 to Oct 10, where the entire city-state is transformed into a huge marketplace and thousands of items, services, and experiences are discounted.

Shopee is a leading online e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, and its 9.9 Super Shopping Day and 10.10 Campaign are amongst Southeast Asia’s largest shopping holidays.

November to December

In recent years, Southeast Asian consumers in urban areas have become increasingly familiar with Alibaba’s Singles’ Day or 11.11. Popular e-commerce platforms like Lazada and Shopee run mobile-based promos across all product categories.

The Philippines has one of the longest Christmas seasons in the world, with shops teasing promotions as early as September. The peak shopping period occurs from November to December — it’s the time when most employees receive their 13th-month salary (aka year-end bonus). Many consumers also take advantage of the month-long Online Revolution sale to buy gifts.

12.12 or “Harbolnas” is Indonesia’s annual, year-end online shopping day and it represents yet another 11.11 Singles’ Day-inspired online shopping day in Southeast Asia. Top selling categories are fashion, beauty and personal care, accessories, and food.

Let's take the first step.

Book a strategy call